In the history of polling, no president besides George W. Bush right after 9/11 has ever been more popular with his own party at this point in his presidency than Donald Trump, with 88 percent approval.

But even with his compound in flames, David Koresh’s approval with the Branch Davidians was still close to 100 percent.

During GOP primary of 2015-2016, the best attack Donald Trump’s Republican weak-kneed opponents managed to toss at him was that he wasn’t a real conservative. Corey Robin, who teaches political science at Brooklyn College and CUNY Graduate Center, argued the exact opposite.

Robin contends that Trump’s “racism, irregularity, and populism, and the ambient violence that trails him and his entourage” are “the telltale signs of conservatism.”

In his book “The Reactionary Mind,” the book the New Yorker said predicted Trump, Robin explains that “Conservatism is an elitist movement of the masses, an effort to create a new-old regime that, in one way or another, makes privilege popular.” And Robin offers up the single best definition of conservatism I’ve ever read: “…the felt experience of having power, seeing it threatened, and trying to win it back.” In other words, Make America Great Again.

Robin is not only one of America’s foremost critics of the right from the left; he is also one of the most pitiless observers of the liberal establishment. We wanted to talk to him about how to make sense of Trump’s conservatism and how Democrats can oppose him without repeating the mistakes that made Trumpism possible.

Progressives Everywhere‘s Candidate of the Week (via @JordanZakarin):
This week’s choice is Tina Davis, a PA legislator who is running for the State Senate. She’s running in a very swingy district — Hillary Clinton won it in 2016, but so did Republican Senator Pat Toomey — and she’s taking on an entrenched incumbent. But she’s made a name for herself in the legislature and is a very grassroots-focused candidate, with a great pro-worker platform.

Pennsylvania is deadlocked with a Democratic governor and Republican supermajority in the State Senate, but the GOP’s grasp on the chamber is down to just one seat, making Davis’s candidacy that much important. I’ll work to interview her soon, but we’re already raising money for her campaign.

Author: EclectablogChris Savage is the owner and publisher of Eclectablog, your one-stop shop for progressive state & national political news & commentary.

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Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has admitted to knowing about the poisoning of Flint's drinking water with lead. Despite this, there are STILL Flint residents who cannot drink their tap water without the use of a water filter.

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Mitchell Robinson is associate professor and chair of music education at Michigan State University. His research is focused on music education and education policy. Follow him on Facebook HERE and Twitter at @mrobmsu. His own blog is at MitchellRobinson.net.

Susan J. Demas is a Democratic strategist, serving as vice president at Farough & Associates. She is a 17-year veteran of journalism and a syndicated political columnist for 12 years. She was most recently the editor and publisher of Inside Michigan Politics. Follow her on Twitter @sjdemas.

Tawana “Honeycomb” Petty is a mother, social justice organizer, youth advocate, poet and author. She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and is intricately involved in water rights, digital justice and visionary organizing work in Detroit. You can learn more about Tawana "Honeycomb" Petty by visiting honeycombthepoet.com. Follow her on Twitter at @CombsThePoet.

Ammara Ansari is a Masters in Public Policy student at University of Michigan. She is a board member of the Canton Democratic Club and Finance Director for Megan Cavanagh for Supreme Court. Find her on twitter at @AmmaraAnsari16